Ionic liquid pretreatment method has been used to convert lignocellulose to sugars, since current pretreatment approaches are energy and cost intensive. Methods are being developed for the conversion of crystalline cellulose to sugars with improvements in yield and rate of sugar production using a simultaneous pretreatment and saccharification using a one step ionic liquid. The pretreatment step has been developed with the use of ionic liquid to break down crystalline cellulosic biomass. While the second step of hydrolyzing cellulose to sugars would require separation of cellulose from ionic liquid, an enzyme that is compatible with the concentrations of ionic liquid used in pretreatment step would eliminate the need for this step, thereby improving yield and reducing time and cost.
Currently, people use techniques that are based on treating the biomass with a combination of high temperature and acid or base, or chemicals like lime. These methods have two distinct disadvantages: first, the industrial enzymes are used to break down cellulose are not compatible with such harsh methods making a single pretreatment and saccharification method impossible. Secondly, these methods create unwanted byproducts that interfere with the downstream hydrolysis and fuel production steps.